Women more susceptible to cigarette harm

Scientists in Sweden have found evidence to suggest that women may be more vulnerable to the harmful effects of smoking than men.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute tested the lung function of 392 twins, all of whom provided information on their smoking habits and respiratory symptoms.

They wanted to find out the impact of genetic factors on a smoker's risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as previous research has shown that only a subset of smokers develop the disease.

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Professor Magnus Svartengren, who presented the findings at a meeting of the Biochemical Society in Loughborough, revealed that the team found 'sex differences in the impact of genetic factors on lung function'.

'Women seem to be more predisposed to suffer the harmful respiratory consequences of tobacco smoking,' he observed.

Previous research has suggested that women who smoke may also be more susceptible to lung cancer than male smokers.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2006 found that female smokers were more likely to develop lung cancer, but had a lower rate of lung cancer-related death.

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